9 1 RHO Getting Started

Getting Started with RoboHELP Office Version 9.1

COPYRIGHTS

Copyright 1994 - 2000 eHelp Corporation. All rights reserved. Portions copyright Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of those agreements. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for any purpose other than the purchasers personal use without the written permission of eHelp Corporation.

eHelp Corporation 7777 Fay Avenue, Suite 201 La Jolla, CA 92037 U.S.A. www.ehelp.com

TRADEMARKS

ActiveEdit, ActiveTest, Blue Sky Software, Blue Sky, Contents Tab Composer, eHelp, Help To Source, Help To Word, Hotspot Studio, HTML Help Studio, PowerSQL, ReSize, RoboHELP, Smart Publishing Wizard, Software Video Camera, WebHelp, WebPopupHelp, WebSearch, What's This? Help Composer, WinHelp 2000, WinHelp BugHunter, WinHelp Find+, WinHelp Graphics Locator, WinHelp HyperViewer, and WinHelp Inspector are trademarks or registered trademarks of eHelp Corporation in the U.S.A. and other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other brands and their products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be noted as such.

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Contents Part I RoboHELP Office

chapter 1 Introduction __________________________________________1 About RoboHELP Office _________________________________________________1

Whats new in this release_______________________________________________1

Whats included with RoboHELP Office _____________________________________2

About RoboHELP HTML _______________________________________________3

About RoboHELP Classic ______________________________________________4

About RoboHELP Office tools___________________________________________5

Help formats in RoboHELP Office__________________________________________8

Choosing an authoring environment _______________________________________9

Contacting eHelp Corporation ___________________________________________10

Corporate headquarters _____________________________________________11

Sales ____________________________________________________________11

Technical Support __________________________________________________11

Documentation feedback_____________________________________________12

Other helpful resources ______________________________________________13

chapter 2 Installing RoboHELP Office ______________________________15 Uninstalling RoboHELP Office ___________________________________________15

Saving existing RoboHELP Office projects________________________________15

Saving existing RoboHELP Office templates ______________________________15

Installing RoboHELP Office _____________________________________________16

System requirements _______________________________________________17

Installing RoboHELP Office with Windows 95a ____________________________18

Installing RoboHELP Office before Microsoft Word _________________________19

Network installation tips _____________________________________________20

Troubleshooting______________________________________________________20

Redistributables______________________________________________________23

chapter 3 Help Basics __________________________________________25 About Help__________________________________________________________25

Getting Started with RoboHELP Office

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Why create Help? ____________________________________________________ 26

What makes it Help? _________________________________________________ 28

How authors create Help ______________________________________________ 29

Basic steps for creating Help systems __________________________________ 29

Components of Help systems___________________________________________ 31

Projects__________________________________________________________ 31

Topics ___________________________________________________________ 31

Images and multimedia _____________________________________________ 33

Windows _________________________________________________________ 34

Links ____________________________________________________________ 35

Styles ___________________________________________________________ 38

Tables of contents__________________________________________________ 39

Index ___________________________________________________________ 40

Full-text search____________________________________________________ 41

Help compilers ____________________________________________________ 41

Help viewers______________________________________________________ 42

Part II Help Formats

chapter 4 Introduction to Help Formats ____________________________43 About Help formats __________________________________________________ 43

Choosing a Help format _______________________________________________ 44

End-user viewing requirements _________________________________________ 46

Help format features comparison________________________________________ 47

Generating Help formats ______________________________________________ 49

Selecting a primary target ___________________________________________ 50

chapter 5 Microsoft HTML Help ___________________________________51 About Microsoft HTML Help_____________________________________________ 51

Microsoft HTML Help source files ________________________________________ 52

Compiling Microsoft HTML Help _________________________________________ 54

Opening and closing the compiler _____________________________________ 55

Changing compilation settings ________________________________________ 56

Viewing Microsoft HTML Help ___________________________________________ 57

Distributing Microsoft HTML Help ________________________________________ 58

Contents

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Installing Microsoft HTML Help system files ______________________________59

Providing support files_______________________________________________60

Installing HHActiveX.DLL_____________________________________________62

Installing Internet Explorer ___________________________________________63

Installing and registering ActiveX controls _______________________________64

Merging Microsoft HTML Help files________________________________________65

Distributing merged Microsoft HTML Help ________________________________66

Combining index files _______________________________________________66

Combining contents (TOC) files________________________________________67

chapter 6 WebHelp ____________________________________________71 About WebHelp ______________________________________________________71

How WebHelp works __________________________________________________72

What's new in WebHelp________________________________________________73

Comparing WebHelp to Microsoft HTML Help _______________________________75

WebHelp and browsers/platforms ________________________________________76

WebHelp browser limitations__________________________________________77

Files generated for WebHelp ____________________________________________78

Generating WebHelp __________________________________________________80

Viewing WebHelp_____________________________________________________81

Distributing WebHelp__________________________________________________82

Context-sensitive WebHelp _____________________________________________83

chapter 7 JavaHelp ____________________________________________85 About JavaHelp ______________________________________________________85

Features available in JavaHelp __________________________________________87

Unsupported features in JavaHelp________________________________________88

About the Java programming language____________________________________90

Files generated for JavaHelp ____________________________________________91

Tips for creating JavaHelp ______________________________________________92

Generating JavaHelp __________________________________________________92

Viewing JavaHelp_____________________________________________________93

Distributing JavaHelp__________________________________________________94

Context-sensitive JavaHelp _____________________________________________95


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chapter 8 Oracle Help __________________________________________97 About Oracle Help____________________________________________________ 97

How does Oracle Help work? _________________________________________ 98

What do you need?_________________________________________________ 98

What do your end users need?________________________________________ 99

What comes with Oracle Help?________________________________________ 99

Features available in Oracle Help ________________________________________ 99

Unsupported features in Oracle Help ____________________________________ 100

Files generated for Oracle Help ________________________________________ 102

Tips for creating Oracle Help __________________________________________ 103

Generating Oracle Help ______________________________________________ 104

Viewing Oracle Help _________________________________________________ 105

Distributing Oracle Help ______________________________________________ 105

Context-sensitive Oracle Help _________________________________________ 106

chapter 9 WinHelp ____________________________________________107 WinHelp primary targets _____________________________________________ 107

WinHelp components ________________________________________________ 109

WinHelp projects _________________________________________________ 109

WinHelp topics ___________________________________________________ 109

WinHelp images and multimedia _____________________________________ 110

WinHelp windows _________________________________________________ 110

WinHelp links ____________________________________________________ 111

WinHelp styles ___________________________________________________ 112

WinHelp tables of contents__________________________________________ 113

WinHelp index____________________________________________________ 113

WinHelp full-text search ____________________________________________ 114

WinHelp compilers and viewers ______________________________________ 114

WinHelp macros __________________________________________________ 115

Comparing WinHelp 3 to WinHelp 4 _____________________________________ 115

Source files for WinHelp ______________________________________________ 116

Creating WinHelp 3 and WinHelp 4 from the same source ___________________ 119

Compiling WinHelp 4 Help ____________________________________________ 120

Compiling WinHelp 3 Help ____________________________________________ 122

Distributing WinHelp_________________________________________________ 123

Contents

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chapter 10 WinHelp 2000 ______________________________________127 About WinHelp 2000 _________________________________________________127

Planning for WinHelp 2000 ____________________________________________128

Limitations of WinHelp 2000 ___________________________________________131

Enabling WinHelp 2000 _______________________________________________131

Explorer View Help __________________________________________________132

Selecting Explorer View Help_________________________________________133

Secondary window options in WinHelp 2000_______________________________133

Smart See Also button _______________________________________________135

Preparing for the Smart See Also button _______________________________135

Adding the Smart See Also button ____________________________________137

Watermarks________________________________________________________138

Window watermarks _______________________________________________138

Topic watermarks _________________________________________________141

HTML links and topics ________________________________________________144

Localizing WinHelp 2000 ______________________________________________150

Troubleshooting WinHelp 2000 _________________________________________152

Distributing WinHelp 2000 Help systems _________________________________153

Part III RoboHELP HTML

chapter 11 Introduction to RoboHELP HTML________________________155 What you can do in RoboHELP HTML_____________________________________156

Whats new in this release_____________________________________________157

End-user requirements _______________________________________________159

Starting and closing the program _______________________________________160

New to HTML Help? __________________________________________________160

RoboHELP HTML tutorial ______________________________________________161

Getting assistance while you work ______________________________________161

Using the Microsoft HTML Help viewer ___________________________________161

Using left-hand tabs _______________________________________________162

Navigating topics__________________________________________________163

eHelp Corporation Web site__________________________________________164

Options menu ____________________________________________________164

Full-text search ___________________________________________________165


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Browse sequences ________________________________________________ 168

Help for dialogs and windows________________________________________ 168

Tips for printing ____________________________________________________ 169

chapter 12 RoboHELP HTML Quick Tours___________________________171 Getting started _____________________________________________________ 171

Basic lessons ______________________________________________________ 171

Opening projects _________________________________________________ 172

Saving projects___________________________________________________ 173

Creating new topics _______________________________________________ 173

Creating folders __________________________________________________ 174

Moving topics into folders___________________________________________ 175

Opening folders __________________________________________________ 176

Viewing topics by file name or topic title _______________________________ 177

Opening topics in the WYSIWYG Editor ________________________________ 178

Creating numbered lists ____________________________________________ 179

Creating bulleted lists______________________________________________ 182

Formatting text with the toolbar _____________________________________ 183

Formatting with inline styles ________________________________________ 184

Adding tables ____________________________________________________ 187

Previewing topics _________________________________________________ 189

Checking spelling _________________________________________________ 192

Linking topics ____________________________________________________ 193

Dragging and dropping to insert links _________________________________ 194

Creating bookmarks _______________________________________________ 196

Linking bookmarks ________________________________________________ 196

Creating popup links_______________________________________________ 198

Linking to Web sites _______________________________________________ 200

Identifying URL icons ______________________________________________ 201

Creating text-only popups __________________________________________ 202

Adding related topics buttons________________________________________ 203

Viewing hyperlinks ________________________________________________ 207

To view the Topic Reference report: ___________________________________ 208

Creating a table of contents _________________________________________ 208

Adding books ____________________________________________________ 208

Adding pages ____________________________________________________ 209

Contents

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Dragging and dropping pages into the TOC _____________________________210

Moving books and pages ____________________________________________211

Renaming pages __________________________________________________212

Viewing the Table of Contents report __________________________________212

Advanced lessons ___________________________________________________213

Changing topic status ______________________________________________213

Creating style sheets_______________________________________________215

Style types_______________________________________________________221

Attaching style sheets to topics_______________________________________222

Applying styles ___________________________________________________223

Creating an index _________________________________________________225

Dragging and dropping keywords _____________________________________226

Adding keywords to topic properties___________________________________228

Creating cross-references ___________________________________________229

Viewing the Index report____________________________________________230

Creating browse sequences__________________________________________231

Assigning topics to browse sequences _________________________________232

Viewing browse sequences __________________________________________233

Testing browse sequences___________________________________________234

Adding images to topics ____________________________________________235

Dragging and dropping images _______________________________________237

Creating image maps ______________________________________________238

Generating your project ____________________________________________241

chapter 13 RoboHELP HTML Basics _______________________________243 The work environment _______________________________________________243

WYSIWYG Editor __________________________________________________244

Toolbars_________________________________________________________245

Link View ________________________________________________________253

TOC Composer____________________________________________________254

Index Designer ___________________________________________________256

Glossary Designer _________________________________________________258

Topic List ________________________________________________________260

Previewing topics__________________________________________________260

Project Manager __________________________________________________263

HTML Help compiler________________________________________________268


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TrueCode Editor __________________________________________________ 269

Tools ___________________________________________________________ 269

Right-click menus _________________________________________________ 271

Drag-and-drop features ______________________________________________ 272

Navigating the work environment ______________________________________ 272

Customizing the work environment _____________________________________ 276

Adding WebSearch to your projects _____________________________________ 279

Why enable WebSearch? ___________________________________________ 279

WebSearch system requirements_____________________________________ 280

Selecting search settings ___________________________________________ 281

Changing WebSearch search settings _________________________________ 282

Enabling WebSearch_______________________________________________ 283

chapter 14 Importing WinHelp Projects ___________________________285 Comparing .HPJ files to .HLP files_______________________________________ 285

How .HPJ files are imported ___________________________________________ 287

Tips for importing .HPJ files ___________________________________________ 289

Steps for importing WinHelp projects into HTML Help _______________________ 290

How .HLP files are imported___________________________________________ 291

Tips for importing .HLP files ___________________________________________ 292

Limitations of creating HTML Help with .HLP files __________________________ 293

Steps for importing .HLP files into HTML Help _____________________________ 295

Part IV RoboHELP Classic

chapter 15 Introduction to RoboHELP Classic _______________________297 Key features of RoboHELP Classic ______________________________________ 298

Upgrading from a previous version _____________________________________ 305

Getting information about RoboHELP Classic ______________________________ 305

Opening and closing RoboHELP Classic __________________________________ 307

chapter 16 RoboHELP Classic Quick Tours _________________________309 Getting started _____________________________________________________ 309

Basic lessons ______________________________________________________ 309

Creating projects _________________________________________________ 310

Contents

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Understanding the work environment__________________________________315

Creating a table of contents _________________________________________318

Creating topics in the TOC Composer __________________________________321

Saving projects ___________________________________________________325

Compiling your project _____________________________________________326

Viewing the compiled Help system ____________________________________326

Editing topics_____________________________________________________328

Adding images to topics ____________________________________________329

Cropping images in Image Workshop __________________________________330

Adding hotspots to images __________________________________________333

Creating hotspot links ______________________________________________336

Adding a popup ___________________________________________________338

Using the Project Manager __________________________________________340

Importing a document______________________________________________341

Creating an index _________________________________________________346

Distributing the Help system_________________________________________350

Advanced lessons ___________________________________________________351

Opening the project________________________________________________352

Viewing the project ________________________________________________353

Customizing window properties_______________________________________359

Using ActiveTest and ActiveEdit_______________________________________366

Using RoboHELP Classic styles _______________________________________369

Adding a non-scrolling region ________________________________________371

Inserting a new screen capture_______________________________________372

Using browse sequences ____________________________________________373

Using the Browse Sequence Editor ____________________________________374

Editing a browse sequence __________________________________________375

Using See Also (A-Keywords) and ALinks _______________________________376

Running reports___________________________________________________380

chapter 17 RoboHELP Classic Basics______________________________383 The work environment _______________________________________________384

RoboHELP Explorer ________________________________________________385

Project Manager __________________________________________________387

TOC Composer____________________________________________________389

Index Designer ___________________________________________________390


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Tools ___________________________________________________________ 392

Image Workshop _________________________________________________ 396

Link View _______________________________________________________ 398

Topic List________________________________________________________ 400

Navigating RoboHELP Classic __________________________________________ 402

RoboHELP Classic and Microsoft Word ___________________________________ 403

Drag-and-drop features ____________________________________________ 404

Right-click menus _________________________________________________ 405

Toolbars ________________________________________________________ 405

Customizing RoboHELP Classic_________________________________________ 413

Selecting RoboHELP components _____________________________________ 413

Changing RoboHELP Options ________________________________________ 414

Upgrading Microsoft Word ____________________________________________ 416

Using RoboHELP Classic without RoboHELP Explorer ________________________ 416

Using RoboHELP Explorer without RoboHELP Classic ______________________ 420

Part V RoboHELP Office and Tools

chapter 18 Introduction to RoboHELP Office Tools ___________________423 About RoboHELP Office tools __________________________________________ 423

RoboHELP Office Starter______________________________________________ 424

Components of the RoboHELP Office Starter ______________________________ 425

Starter tabs _____________________________________________________ 425

Starter toolbar ___________________________________________________ 425

Starter right-click menus ___________________________________________ 426

Using the RoboHELP Office Starter______________________________________ 427

Opening the RoboHELP Office Starter _________________________________ 428

Starting RoboHELP Office tools_______________________________________ 429

Adding tools to the Starter window ___________________________________ 429

Deleting tools from the Starter window ________________________________ 430

Viewing tool properties_____________________________________________ 430

Opening existing Help projects_______________________________________ 431

Starting new Microsoft HTML Help projects _____________________________ 432

Starting new WinHelp projects_______________________________________ 434

Getting Help and information about tools ______________________________ 436

Contents

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chapter 19 RoboHELP Office and General Tools _____________________437 About RoboHELP Office tools___________________________________________437

ReSize ____________________________________________________________437

Graphics Locator ____________________________________________________439

Software Video Camera_______________________________________________440

Whats This? Help Composer___________________________________________442

Multi-File Find and Replace ____________________________________________443

Single Source feature ________________________________________________446

Smart Publishing Wizard ______________________________________________447

Publishing files and folders __________________________________________448

RoboHELP Office QuickBar_____________________________________________450

chapter 20 Microsoft HTML Help-Specific Tools _____________________451 Starting tools from RoboHELP HTML _____________________________________451

Finding HTML Help components ________________________________________451

HTML Help Registration _______________________________________________453

Registering .CHM files ______________________________________________454

Finding HTML Help Files ______________________________________________455

HTML Help Studio ___________________________________________________456

BugHunter for HTML Help _____________________________________________458

chapter 21 WinHelp-Specific Tools _______________________________461 Starting tools from RoboHELP Classic ____________________________________461

WinHelp BugHunter__________________________________________________461

WinHelp Compatibility Wizard __________________________________________463

Using the Compatibility Wizard _______________________________________464

WinHelp HyperViewer ________________________________________________465

PC HelpDesk _______________________________________________________466

Help-to-Source _____________________________________________________467

WinHelp Inspector and Keyword Reporter_________________________________468

Index _______________________________________________________471


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About This Guide This guide is designed to help you quickly get familiar with RoboHELP Office.

It provides an overview of Help and Help authoring, provides instructions for installing RoboHELP Office, introduces you to RoboHELP HTML, RoboHELP Classic, and RoboHELP Office Tools, and describes the different Help formats you can create.

Youll find all the answers to using specific features in the online Help system included with RoboHELP HTML, RoboHELP Classic, and RoboHELP Office Tools.

Getting Started with RoboHELP Office is organized as follows:

Part I RoboHELP Office

Chapter 1 Introduction

Familiarizes you with this version of RoboHELP Office. It introduces the program's suite of key features, describes how to get information from the program, and lists information on how to contact eHelp Corporation.

Chapter 2 Installing RoboHELP Office

Provides all the information you need to install RoboHELP Office, including how to update earlier versions of RoboHELP. Get details about installing RoboHELP Office, handling the Microsoft Word component, and troubleshooting.

Chapter 3 Help Basics

Describes the fundamentals of Help what it is, how it's used, how it's created, and introduces you to the various Help formats available. This is an important chapter for all Help authors, and especially novice authors.

Part II Help Formats

Chapter 4 Introduction to Help Formats

Gives an overview of the Help formats you can generate with RoboHELP Office. Discusses how to choose a Help format and how they compare to each other, as well as how to generate a Help format.

Chapter 5 Microsoft HTML Help

Takes a closer look at this widely used Help format, including its components, some HTML basics, how to generate it, and how to merge multiple projects.


II

Chapter 6 WebHelp

Gives you details about developing this versatile format, which allows you to create cross-platform and browser-independent Help systems. Discusses whats new in WebHelp, what you can do, and all the information you need to create and deliver WebHelp.

Chapter 7 JavaHelp

Explains what this Help format is all about, including what end users need, what the supported and unsupported features are, how to generate JavaHelp, and much more.

Chapter 8 Oracle Help

Introduces you to Suns Oracle Help for Java, a delivery system you can generate for applications written in the Java programming language (or any other language). Youll find out about supported and unsupported features, as well as how to generate and view Oracle Help.

Chapter 9 WinHelp

Describes the original Help format, its components, and how to create, compile and distribute WinHelp 3 and WinHelp 4. Also discusses how to create WinHelp 3 and WinHelp 4 from the same source.

Chapter 10 WinHelp 2000

Provides information about eHelp Corporations answer to updating the look and feel of your WinHelp 4 projects. This format allows authors to get the same tri-pane appearance as HTML Help, plus add other enhancements such as secondary window options and watermarks.

Part III RoboHELP HTML

Chapter 11 Introduction to RoboHELP HTML

Describes whats new in RoboHELP HTML, what you can do, what you need, and explains the work environment.

Chapter 12 RoboHELP HTML Quick Tours

Shows you how to use RoboHELP HTML in two easy-to-follow tours one containing beginner lessons and one containing more advanced lessons. This is an important chapter for Help authors new to RoboHELP HTML. You'll quickly learn more about Help authoring and how to put RoboHELP HTML features into practice.

About This Guide

III

Chapter 13 RoboHELP HTML Basics

Provides an overview of the RoboHELP HTML work environment. It familiarizes you with the program's components and shows you how to work in and customize your work environment to get the most from your Help authoring experience. This chapter also introduces you to WebSearch, a feature that allows your end users to perform targeted Internet searches right from your Help system.

Chapter 14 Importing WinHelp Projects

Explains how you can use RoboHELP HTML to convert WinHelp files into HTML Help files, offers useful information to make your conversions suit your preferences, and takes you through the conversion process step-by-step. It also compares and contrasts WinHelp and HTML Help.

Part IV RoboHELP Classic

Chapter 15 Introduction to RoboHELP Classic

Explains the key features of this Help authoring tool, along with some tips about upgrading from a previous version and obtaining additional information.

Chapter 16 RoboHELP Classic Quick Tours

Shows you how to use RoboHELP Classic in two easy-to-follow tours one containing beginner lessons and one containing more advanced lessons. This is an important chapter for Help authors new to RoboHELP Classic. You'll quickly learn more about Help authoring and how to put RoboHELP Classic features into practice.

Chapter 17 RoboHELP Classic Basics

Provides an introduction to RoboHELP Classics work environment and how to find your way around this tool. Explains how RoboHELP Classic works with Microsoft Word, how you customize certain elements of the program, and how you can use RoboHELP Explorer.

Part V RoboHELP Office Tools

Chapter 18 Introduction to RoboHELP Office Tools

Introduces you to the RoboHELP suite of productivity tools. Learn how to use the RoboHELP Office Starter, including opening tools from the Starter window.

Chapter 19 RoboHELP Office and General Tools

Discusses the RoboHELP Office tools you can use with either RoboHELP HTML or RoboHELP Classic. You can use these tools to resize images, find images, create video and context-sensitive Help, and more.


IV

Chapter 20 Microsoft HTML-Specific Tools

Familiarizes you with the tools you can use with RoboHELP HTML. These tools allow you to register your HTML Help components, find files, troubleshoot context-sensitive Help, and more.

Chapter 21 WinHelp-Specific Tools

Provides information about the tools you can use with RoboHELP Classic. These tools allow you to troubleshoot context-sensitive Help, update the look of WinHelp 3 systems, create a help desk, and more.

Index

At the end, youll find an index so you can quickly find information in this guide.

Finding your way around this guide

Numerous items and instructions appear throughout this guide. These conventions are designed to make it quick and easy to find and understand information.

Menu names and options are printed in bold type. For example: Click the File menu, then select Project Settings.

Dialog box names begin with uppercase letters. For example: The Topic Properties dialog opens.

Key combinations that you should press appear in uppercase letters with bold type. If joined with a plus sign (+), press and hold the first key while you press the remaining one(s). For example: Press CTRL+B.

Text you should type appears in a distinct font (Courier) so you can easily read it in the document. For example: Torrey Pines State Park

Code that you (or application developers) use appears in a monospaced font so each character is easy to identify. For example: hh.exe x:\pathname\helpfile.chm

Chapter 1

Introduction In this chapter About RoboHELP Office ____________________________________________1

Whats new in this release _________________________________________1

Whats included with RoboHELP Office ________________________________2

Help formats in RoboHELP Office ____________________________________8

Choosing an authoring environment__________________________________9

Contacting eHelp Corporation ______________________________________10

About RoboHELP Office RoboHELP Office is the leading authoring tool for developing HTML-based and Windows Help for all the major Help formats. It combines the power of WYSIWYG editing, page layout and design, table of contents and index files, navigation, graphics, compilation, and everything else you need to create Help and HTML content in an easy-to-use graphical environment all with point-and-click and drag-and-drop ease.

RoboHELP Office features RoboHELP HTML and RoboHELP Classic the industry standard in Help authoring tools for both WinHelp and Microsoft HTML Help. RoboHELP Office includes specialized tools for working with images, multimedia, HTML files, and context-sensitive Help; converting source files; publishing files and folders; enhancing Microsoft Windows 3.1 Help systems, and much more.

Whats new in this release New localization features are added to this release of RoboHELP Office. For further information, see the chapters on RoboHELP HTML (Chapter 11) and RoboHELP Classic (Chapter 15).


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Whats included with RoboHELP Office RoboHELP Office includes the following applications:

RoboHELP HTML

This Help authoring tool is specialized for creating compiled Microsoft HTML Help systems, WebHelp (cross-platform, browser-independent Help), JavaHelp, and Oracle Help. You can also import WinHelp projects and .HTM files. The dramatically improved WYSIWYG Editor produces cleaner HTML code and has a friendly user interface modeled after Word 2000 and FrontPage 2000. You can use the familiar WYSIWYG environment for developing fully functional HTML-based Help systems. RoboHELP HTML also now supports third-party HTML editors for authoring your Help content.

For additional information about using RoboHELP HTML, see Part III of this manual and the RoboHELP HTML online Help system.

RoboHELP Classic

This application is a full-featured authoring package designed specifically for producing professional Help systems for Microsoft Windows 3x, 95, 98, and NT. Its ideally suited for developing WinHelp systems from conception to distribution.

For additional information about using RoboHELP Classic, see Part IV of this manual and the RoboHELP Classic online Help system.

RoboHELP Office Tools

RoboHELP Office includes programs for working with images, HTML files, multimedia, and other specific Help authoring tasks. You can also add shortcuts to applications you use frequently, making it easy to launch them without leaving RoboHELP Office.

For additional information about using RoboHELP Office Tools, see Part V of this manual and the online Help for RoboHELP Office and each tool.


3

RoboHELP Office

About RoboHELP HTML RoboHELP HTML is a specialized WYSIWYG authoring tool for creating Microsoft HTML Help for Microsoft Windows 95, 98, and NT. RoboHELP HTML is also ideally suited for developing cross-platform, browser-independent Help (WebHelp) and intranet content, JavaHelp, and Oracle Help.

Use RoboHELP HTML to design Help systems with tables of contents, multi-level indexes, full-text searches, custom windows, hyperlinks, images, and more. Take advantage of HTMLs benefits by creating special effects with Dynamic HTML, including ActiveX controls such as custom buttons, adding HTML Help controls to enhance your topics, and using cascading style sheets to control the appearance of your topic text.

Take advantage of the various RoboHELP Office tools to make your Help authoring faster and easier.


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Powerful WYSIWYG Editor

You dont need to know HTML programming to use RoboHELP HTML. The WYSIWYG Editor is specifically designed for creating all HTML-specific features, in addition to standard Help elements. The newly updated WYSIWYG Editor provides such features as drag-and-drop capabilities within the editor, unlimited undo/redo functionality, the familiar "ruler" at the top of the editor, and enhanced dialogs. Dramatic improvements have also been made to aspects of the program that give you truly professional looking results, including powerful new layout capabilities, style handling, and DHTML effects.

If you like to work under the hood with HTML, you can view and edit the underlying HTML code using the TrueCode Editor.

Using eHelp Corporations single-source output technology, you can use RoboHELP HTML to generate WebHelp (cross-platform, browser-independent Help), JavaHelp, Oracle Help, and printed documentation. Unlike traditional HTML authoring tools, it offers superior organization, navigation and indexing capabilities. You can also import WinHelp projects (.HLP and .HPJ files).

About RoboHELP Classic RoboHELP Classic simplifies the process of creating and maintaining Help files and integrating those Help files with any application software. It automates the creation of Help features, including topics, hotspots, buttons, tables of contents, multi-level indexes, full-text searches, See Also buttons, customizable window designs, and much more.

Familiar environment

RoboHELP Classic uses the familiar Microsoft Word as its host word processor to author and edit your Help topics. RoboHELP Classic includes the Explorer, which helps you to organize and manage your source files including a visual representation of your topic links. You can also use RoboHELP Explorer to quickly and easily design a table of contents, browse sequences, a Help index, and more. RoboHELP Classic handles the complex tasks behind the scenes so you can focus on the content, design, and usability of your Help system.


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About RoboHELP Office tools Along with RoboHELP HTML and RoboHELP Classic, RoboHELP Office includes a powerful collection of productivity tools that help you work more efficiently. Heres a quick look at the tools you can use:

RoboHELP Office Tool/Feature Description

ReSize Drag and drop to change the size of any graphic in your Help system while maintaining image quality. You can even set the resolution of a graphic or change the type of an image without leaving the RoboHELP Office suite.

Graphics Locator Find and view all images on your system, even across multiple drives. As you select each file name, Graphics Locator instantly displays the image and allows you to copy images to your project folder quickly and easily.

Smart Publishing Wizard Copy or publish files and folders to different locations. Copy individual or groups of .HTM files, or an entire project to an Internet site, a corporate intranet, your local hard drive, or a network. The publishing wizard is smart because it only publishes files that are newer than the last time the files were published.

Software Video Camera Capture on-screen actions, add narration, and generate multimedia video files that you can include in your Help systems. Once youve created your video, the Software Video Camera online Help tells you everything you need to know to add video to WinHelp and Microsoft HTML Help systems.

What's This? Help Composer The fastest way to create context-sensitive Help for your Microsoft Windows 95, 98, and NT applications. The Whats This? Help Composer scans an application, finds all the controls in each dialog box, and automatically creates an entire Help project for you in seconds!


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Multi-File Find and Replace A powerful tool for quickly searching multiple topics and removing or replacing text. This tool is dual purpose you can use it to search topic content as well as HTML tags and their related syntax.

Find HTML Help Components This tool searches for Microsoft HTML Help system files and identifies them on screen. It can find Dynamic Link Libraries (.DLL), executable programs (.EXE), and ActiveX controls (.OCX) that serve as components. This tool is helpful if you need to locate, move, delete, or obtain more information about an individual system file.

HTML Help Registration This tool enables you to register, unregister, and replace compiled Microsoft HTML Help files (.CHM files).

Find HTML Help Files This tool searches your system for compiled Microsoft HTML Help files (.CHM files) and identifies them on screen. This tool is useful if you need to locate, move, delete or obtain more information about .CHM files.

HTML Help Studio This tool provides an easy way to extract ("decompile") source files from a compiled Microsoft HTML Help file (.CHM). This tool is especially useful if you have a .CHM file, but no longer have the source files used to create it. By decompiling the .CHM file, you can easily extract the source files including HTML topics, images, style sheets, and other project files.

BugHunter for HTML Help A timesaving tool for testing context-sensitive Help topics in your Microsoft HTML Help project. You open the application that uses the Help you want to test and BugHunter provides instant feedback about the topic. For example, it reports the name of the Help project, Help topic and map number called from the application.


7


WinHelp BugHunter (16-bit) Save time when you create context-sensitive Help for 16-bit Help systems. Easily resolve broken links between applications and their WinHelp files.

WinHelp BugHunter (32-bit) Monitor calls to context-sensitive Help topics in 32-bit Help systems. Quickly diagnose problems and resolve broken links by identifying which map numbers the application is using.

PC HelpDesk Provide access to your companys Help Desk from within your Help system. Your users can tap into your knowledge base or frequently asked questions 24 hours a day, lowering technical support costs.

Help-to-Source Automatically convert any WinHelp file (.HLP file) into its corresponding .RTF and .HPJ source files with just a click of your mouse.

WinHelp Inspector Quickly inspect any Help system, whether or not you have access to the source files. Examine startup macros and DLLs, topic titles, search keywords, fonts used, and more.

Keyword Reporter Access a full-featured report of WinHelp topics and associated keywords that can be sorted alphabetically by topic or by keyword.

WinHelp Compatibility Wizard

Give your Windows 3.1 Help systems the look and feel of WinHelp 4 with Contents, Index, and Find tabs.

WinHelp HyperViewer Add a Contents tab and an Index tab as well as full-text search to your Windows 3.1 Help systems. Its quick because its automatic.

Single Source feature Create major Help formats (such as Microsoft HTML Help, WebHelp, and WinHelp) using a single set of source files.


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Help formats in RoboHELP Office RoboHELP Office enables you to create any of the major Help formats. Heres a look at each one:

Microsoft HTML Help

This format was developed by Microsoft to display Help in Windows applications. Microsoft HTML Help is based on Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files. You can run Microsoft HTML Help on Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, and 2000 using Internet Explorer 4.x or later. Use the Microsoft HTML Help format to create application Help, standalone Help, online policies and procedures, and more, for end users that run Windows and Internet Explorer.

WebHelp

WebHelp is a Help format developed by eHelp Corporation that runs reliably on any popular browser and platform. WebHelp provides online Help for multiple computing platforms including Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and UNIX with any browser including Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Use WebHelp files to create Web site Help, Help for Web-based applications, intranet Help or content, extranet Help or content, Help for applications in virtually any programming language, online books, electronic performance support systems, and more.

JavaHelp

This format, developed by Sun Microsystems, is designed to work with applications written in the Java programming language. JavaHelp and Java applications run on a variety of platforms (such as Windows, UNIX, Mac, and Linux). JavaHelp is a delivery system, not a Help authoring tool. When you use RoboHELP Office to author, all JavaHelp features are automatically created including contents, index, full-text search, navigation controls, and popup windows, along with HTML-based features such as HTML topics and links, Related Topics buttons, and image files.

Oracle Help

Oracle Help for Java is a Help format developed by Oracle Corporation for creating Help in Java or Oracle systems. Oracle Help for Java works with applications written in Java or any other programming language. Oracle Help and Java applications run on a variety of platforms (Windows, UNIX, Macintosh, Linux, etc.). Generate Oracle Help for Java for all your Java-based applications and Oracle servers, tools and applications.


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WinHelp

The original Help format created by Microsoft, WinHelp allows you to create and distribute sophisticated online Help for Windows software applications. You focus on design and content while RoboHELP Classic handles the complexities of creating Help systems for you behind the scenes. You can create WinHelp 4 and WinHelp 3 Help systems, depending on your environment and end-user needs. WinHelp 2000 allows you to create Help that has the look and feel of Microsoft HTML Help.

Printed documentation

Save time and resources by creating high-quality printed documentation from your Help project to create professional Help systems. The Documentation Wizard converts your Help system into full-featured printed documentation files complete with text formatting, styles, images, and more.

Note: For more information about Help formats, see Chapter 4, Introduction to Help Formats.

Choosing an authoring environment Choosing whether to develop your Help system in RoboHELP HTML or RoboHELP Classic is an important decision. Both programs produce Help systems with basic Help features (table of contents, index, full-text search, hyperlinks, images, etc.). However, each program is best suited for creating particular types of Help output that have different end-user and authoring requirements.

Use the following information to help you determine which tool to use. To learn more about the differences between RoboHELP HTML and RoboHELP Classic and the Help formats (output) you can create, refer to Part II, Help Formats.

What do your end users require?

The host application (the application for which you develop Help) determines which environment/platform and viewer your end users have. As a result, you need to create Help that matches your end users requirements for platforms and viewers. For example, a Web-based host application may require Help that runs on the Web and uses Internet Explorer as the browser. In this case, you could use RoboHELP HTML to create the WebHelp Help format.

Generally, you should:

Use RoboHELP HTML to create Microsoft HTML Help systems and systems that are distributed on the Web (such as WebHelp, JavaHelp, Oracle Help) or that require an HTML browser.


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Use RoboHELP Classic for Help systems that need to run with Windows applications that use WinHelp. (You can also create other Help formats using RoboHELP Classic.)

Does your management or development team require you to use a specific tool?

Your team or manager may have policies or technical grounds for using a particular tool, especially if your company or department standardizes the tools it purchases.

Are you are creating a Help system for an application or a particular platform?

Ask your developer if an HTML-based Help format or WinHelp will integrate more smoothly into the application.

Does your Help system require special effects or other HTML-specific features?

Special effects can help explain your host application, dialogs, concepts, and more. Dynamic HTML, available with RoboHELP HTML, allows you to add interactive and eye-catching elements to your Help project. You can create 3-D effects, expanding and drop-down hotspots, text that spirals, glows, fade in and out, mouseover effects, and much more.

If you want a more traditional Help system, you can add multimedia, hotspot images, external links, and more to systems authored in RoboHELP Classic.

What kind of environment do you prefer?

If you are more comfortable authoring in a WYSIWYG HTML editor (with the option of editing HTML code), you should use RoboHELP HTML. You can use either the WYSIWYG Editor or the TrueCode Editor, depending on how you want to edit and view your content. If you prefer working in the Microsoft Word environment, you should use RoboHELP Classic. (This may not be the top consideration if you have other more pressing requirements.)

Contacting eHelp Corporation eHelp Corporation is the worldwide leader in Help and user assistance solutions. Our innovative tools are easy to use and greatly improve the usability of Web sites, Web-based applications, and software.


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Corporate headquarters

Address: eHelp Corporation 7777 Fay Avenue La Jolla, CA 92037 U.S.A.

Telephone: 1-858-551-2485

Fax: 1-858-551-2486

World Wide Web: w w w . e h e l p . c o m

Office hours: Monday to Friday 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time

Sales eHelp Corporations professional sales staff is ready to answer your sales questions Monday to Friday from 6:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time.

Contact your account representative for information about the latest eHelp products, the eHelp Subscription Plan, upgrade options and prices, and more. If you have a technical question or problem, please contact Technical Support.

Contacting your eHelp sales representative

Sales phone: 1-800-677-4946

International (including Canada):

1-858-459-6365

Sales fax: 1-858-459-6366

World Wide Web: www.ehelp.com

Sales email: s a l e s @ e h e l p . c o m

When sending email, please include your company name, city, and state to ensure prompt handling of your request.

Technical Support eHelp Corporation is committed to providing you with the best overall product experience. This includes intuitive technical products AND flexible options to fit your support needs. Our products are designed with superior quality and ease of use in mind, but we understand that issues do arise from time to time that need the backing of our support resources.

Note: eHelp Corporation support services are subject to the prices, terms, and conditions in place at the time the service is used.


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eHelp Corporation's Technical Support services includes email, telephone, and Web-based support on our corporate Web site.

For current hours of operation and details about all support offerings, please:

Visit our Web site at www.ehelp.com/support.

Email us at [email protected] to receive an automated reply listing all of your support options.

Call us at 858-551-2194.

Documentation feedback At eHelp Corporation, we strive to produce the highest quality documentation products and welcome your feedback. If you have comments or suggestions about our online Help or printed guides, you can email us.

Please include the following information with your feedback:

Product name and version number

Printed manual or online Help

Topic title (for online Help)

Page number (for printed manual)

Brief description of content (for example, are you reviewing step-by-step instructions that are inaccurate, grammatical errors in a specific paragraph, information that requires clarification or more details, etc.)

Your suggestion for how to correct/improve documentation

Please send email messages to:

[email protected]

Keep in mind, this email address is only for documentation feedback; you will not receive a reply. If you have a technical question, please contact Technical Support.


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Other helpful resources A good list of resources can make all the difference in terms of support, guidance, and inspiration. As the worldwide leader in Help development solutions, eHelp Corporation leads the way by offering a list of helpful resources on our Web site.

Youll find the latest Help development resource information including books, periodicals, online forums, helpful Internet links, training, and more.


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Chapter 2

Installing RoboHELP Office In this chapter Uninstalling RoboHELP Office ______________________________________15

Installing RoboHELP Office ________________________________________16

Troubleshooting_________________________________________________20

Redistributables_________________________________________________23

This chapter provides information to help you install and start this version of RoboHELP Office. Youll find information about new program features, system requirements, installation troubleshooting, network installation tips, and technical support.

Uninstalling RoboHELP Office eHelp Corporation recommends that you uninstall any older versions or evaluation versions of RoboHELP Office prior to installing new versions. Running multiple versions of RoboHELP applications on the same computer is not recommended or supported by eHelp Corporation.

Saving existing RoboHELP Office projects Uninstalling removes program files only project files you created in RoboHELP Office remain on your system. We do recommend, however, that you copy and move any projects you saved in the RoboHELP Office folder. Save a copy of the projects in another location on your hard drive (such as in your My Documents folder) before uninstalling RoboHELP Office.

Saving existing RoboHELP Office templates The RoboHELP template for Microsoft Word named RoboHELP.dot is deleted from the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates folder when you uninstall RoboHELP Office. If you made changes to the RoboHELP.dot template and want to preserve the styles, save a copy of the template in another location on your hard drive (such as in your My Documents folder) before uninstalling RoboHELP Office.


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If you choose to install a new version of RoboHELP Office without first uninstalling an older version that includes RoboHELP Classic, the existing RoboHELP templates for Word are saved (copied and renamed) during installation. (Look for them in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates folder; they are renamed Copy of RoboHELP.dot.) This means that any changes you have made to these templates are preserved. You can merge styles from these templates into the new RoboHELP templates for Word simply by using the Microsoft Word Organizer. (For more information, refer to the Microsoft Word online Help.)

To uninstall RoboHELP Office:

1 From the Start menu, select Settings Control Panel.

2 Double-click on Add/Remove Programs.

3 Click the Install/Uninstall tab.

4 From the list of programs that you can remove, select RoboHELP Office.

5 Click Add/Remove.

6 At the prompt, click Yes to confirm that you want to remove the RoboHELP Office program.

The uninstall program removes program files, folders, and registry entries.

7 When the files are removed, the uninstall program indicates that the process is complete. Click OK.

Note: Since project data are not removed, a message may be displayed if you have image files, .HLP files, etc. on your system.

Installing RoboHELP Office The installation program prompts you for the serial number of your new RoboHELP Office program during the setup procedure. Your serial number is included with your product registration card or CD holder. You can register online, by fax, or by mail. After the files are copied to your system, youll have the option of registering your product online before you finish the installation. As a registered customer you receive:

Special pricing and discount offers on eHelp Corporation products

Help technology news and updates


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If you are developing Help on a Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium, Windows NT 4, or Windows 2000 system, you can install all of the tools in RoboHELP Office.

System requirements Check that you have the following required (or recommended) items before installing and using RoboHELP Office.

Pentium processor or faster (recommended)

32 MB RAM or more

32-bit operating system such as Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium, Windows NT 4, or Windows 2000

110 MB free disk space (for full installation of RoboHELP Office files)

At least 64 MB free disk space after install for optimal desktop performance and temporary Setup files (64 MB is recommended for Microsoft Word's temporary disk space usage)

Internet Explorer 4 or later (required for Microsoft HTML Help)

Microsoft HTML Help (included and installed with RoboHELP HTML)

Appropriate sound hardware to use some of the multimedia features of RoboHELP HTML

To install RoboHELP Office:

1 Close all programs.

2 Insert the CD labeled RoboHELP Office into your CD-ROM drive. If Autorun is enabled on your system, the installation starts automatically and you can skip steps 3 and 4.

3 From the Start menu, select Run.

4 Type D:\setup (substitute the appropriate letter of your CD-ROM drive for D).

5 Follow the instructions on the screen.

The installation program prompts you to select a type of setup:

Typical: In most cases, the Typical installation provides you with the tools you need. RoboHELP HTML and RoboHELP Classic are installed on your system with this setup option.


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Compact: Choose the Compact installation if you are installing RoboHELP Office on a laptop or other computer with limited resources.

Custom: Choose the custom installation if you would like to customize the selection of RoboHELP Office Tools that are installed. To include or remove a particular option, click the mouse once on the desired option. If youd like to include a tool, make sure a check mark (3333) appears to the left of the option.

By default, RoboHELP Office is installed in C:\Program Files\RoboHELP Office. Each tool is installed in a subfolder under RoboHELP Office.

Installing RoboHELP Office with Windows 95a

Note: Internet Explorer 4 or later must be installed first on the Windows 95a operating system to successfully install RoboHELP Office.

To determine your Microsoft Windows version:

Open Windows Explorer and select About Windows from the Help menu. The product release number appears in the dialog box.

To determine your Internet Explorer version:

Open Internet Explorer and select About Internet Explorer from the Help menu. The product release number appears in the dialog box.

If you need to upgrade or install the Web browser for the first time, a copy of Internet Explorer 5 is located on the RoboHELP Office CD.

To install Internet Explorer 5:

1 Insert the RoboHELP Office CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2 From the Start menu, select Run.

3 Type D:\ie\ie5setup.exe (substitute the appropriate letter of your CD-ROM drive for D) and click OK.

4 Follow the instructions on the screen.

5 Reboot your computer (this should occur automatically).

To proceed with your RoboHELP Office installation, you can eject and re-insert the RoboHELP Office CD or select Run from the Start menu and type D:\setup (see the previous section, Installing RoboHELP Office, for detailed instructions).


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Installing RoboHELP Office before Microsoft Word

Note: For best results, install Microsoft Word first and then install RoboHELP Office.

If you are installing RoboHELP Office with the RoboHELP Classic component (the default installation) and have not yet installed Microsoft Word, the RoboHELP Office templates for Word are installed to a temporary location, C:\RoboHELP Templates. (The templates are ordinarily stored in the existing Microsoft Word or Microsoft Office folder.)

Before using RoboHELP Office you must:

Install Microsoft Word (for the RoboHELP Classic component)

Move or copy all RoboHELP templates for Word from the temporary folder to the correct folder. Templates are typically stored in the following folders:

Word 95: C:\Msoffice\Templates

Word 97: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates

Word 2000:

Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates (for Microsoft Windows 95, 98 and Millennium)

OR

Winnt\Profiles\\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates (for Microsoft Windows NT and 2000)

Restart your computer

Move or copy the file robohook.wll to the startup folder. The startup folder is typically stored in the following locations:

Word 95: C:\Msoffice\Winword\Startup

Word 97: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Startup


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Word 2000:

Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Startup (for Microsoft Windows 95, 98 and Millennium)

OR

Winnt\Profiles\\Application Data\Microsoft\Startup (for Microsoft Windows NT and 2000)

Network installation tips If you have Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Word installed on a network, you may place the RoboHELP Office folder on either a local drive or a network drive, providing you have write privileges on the network drive. If you are unsure about any of the options, have your system administrator help you with installing RoboHELP Office.

Note: RoboHELP Office is provided under single-user licenses or license packs. If you want to install RoboHELP Office on a network and provide access for more than one user, you must purchase additional single-user licenses or license packs. Each additional single-user license allows one other specific individual to install and use RoboHELP Office. Additional single-user licenses are not concurrent-user licenses (that is, each additional single-user license is associated with a specific individual). For example, a group of 10 users who want access to a single copy of RoboHELP Office must purchase 9 additional single-user licenses so that the entire workgroup can have access (e.g., 10 licenses total). Or the group must purchase a 10-user license pack. For more information, refer to the License Agreement or contact your eHelp Corporation Sales Representative.

Troubleshooting Occasionally, users encounter problems during installation. Here are some troubleshooting tips you can use that may resolve the problem. If you have any further questions, contact eHelp Corporation Technical Support.

Before installation, shut down any running programs, including virus-checking programs. (Usually, virus-checking software has little or no impact on the installation process; however, if you are running such software and encounter difficulties with your RoboHELP Office installation, turning off the virus-checking programs and then re-installing often resolves the problem.)


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Delete any files in your temporary folder. (This folder is determined by the TEMP environment variable. Usually it is located in C:\TEMP or C:\WINDOWS\TEMP.)

Run a disk-scanning utility. Hard drive errors can cause problems with the installation process. (Some Microsoft Windows systems contain a utility named ScanDisk. If you have questions about disk-scanning utilities, talk to your system administrator.)

Copy the RoboHELP Office setup CD to your hard drive, then run setup.exe from your hard drive.

Check to make sure there is enough free disk space on your hard drive to meet the system requirements listed at the beginning of this chapter. (The setup process should notify you if there is not enough free disk space prior to installation.)

Following are some examples of scenarios you may encounter when installing RoboHELP Office, along with troubleshooting tips.

Scenario #1 Microsoft Word cannot locate the necessary RoboHELP templates for Word.

RoboHELP Classic depends on working with Microsoft Word, so if you have customized Words setup, difficulties may arise.

Note: RoboHELP Office uses one main Word template (RoboHELP.dot). Other templates are included in the installation for backwards compatibility with previous versions of RoboHELP.

1 Open a document in Microsoft Word.

2 From the Tools menu, click Options.

3 Select the File Locations tab.

4 Under File Types, select User Templates. Navigate to the correct folder (see Installing RoboHELP Office before Microsoft Word for a list of Words template locations).

The specified folder should contain the RoboHELP templates for Word (files ending with the .DOT extension). The folder should also contain these RoboHELP templates for Word: RoboHELP.dot, robortf.dot, robohp31.dot, robort31.dot, and robodocs.dot.

If the specified folder does not contain the RoboHELP templates for Word, you can click Modify to navigate to the folder where the RoboHELP templates are located.


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5 Select the correct folder and click OK.

6 Click Close and exit Microsoft Word.

7 Start RoboHELP Office.

Scenario #2 Some or all of the necessary RoboHELP templates are not installed.

If you receive this error message, it may be because not all of the correct RoboHELP templates for Word are installed. The easiest way to fix this problem is to reinstall RoboHELP Office and make sure that you specify the correct template folder. Alternatively, you can follow the steps below to copy the RoboHELP templates for Word to the folder that is specified.

1 Use Windows Explorer to search for any of the RoboHELP templates for Word (for example, RoboHELP.dot).

2 Navigate to the folder that contains this file. The folder should contain all of the necessary RoboHELP templates for Word: RoboHELP.dot, robortf.dot, robohp31.dot, robort31.dot, and robodocs.dot.

3 Copy these files to the User Template folder specified under Tools Options File Locations.

4 Start RoboHELP Office and re-open the file.

Scenario #3 There is more than one version of the RoboHELP templates installed on your system.

If you have specified the correct template directory and checked to make sure that all necessary files are there and are still receiving this error message, you may not be using the proper templates for your particular version of RoboHELP and Microsoft Word. This is unlikely if you have followed the installation instructions. Nevertheless, a quick way to check this out is to take a look at the file size of RoboHELP.dot:

Version of Word Size of RoboHELP.dot

Word 95 127K

Word 97 592K

Word 2000 612K

If your template file is not approximately this size, you may want to reinstall RoboHELP and make sure that the correct version of Word is specified.


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If you cannot resolve this error, please contact eHelp Corporation Technical Support (see Contacting eHelp Corporation in Chapter 1).

Scenario #4 Exceeded number of licenses

If you get this error when trying to run RoboHELP Office, you need to update your RoboHELP Office license or purchase additional licenses. Contact eHelp Corporation Sales for more information.

Redistributables Some of the tools in RoboHELP Office provide additional functionality to your Help systems through the use of DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries) and OCXs (ActiveX controls). These DLLs must be distributed along with your Help system and installed on your end users systems.

If a RoboHELP Office tool requires DLLs, the DLLs are listed in the tools online Help, along with specific instructions for using them. Additionally, all redistributables are listed in the file redistr.txt in the Redist folder on the RoboHELP Office CD.


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Chapter 3

Help Basics In this chapter About Help ____________________________________________________25

Why create Help? _______________________________________________26

What makes it Help? _____________________________________________28

How authors create Help__________________________________________29

Components of Help systems ______________________________________31

Ever wonder just what Help is? What you can use Help for? How a Help file is created? Or maybe you've wondered what your choices are or what the different pieces are that make up a Help system. You've probably heard about HTML Help and WinHelp, but you might want to know more about what they are and when you might want to use one instead of the other.

Help Basics is intended to introduce and explain the basic concepts of Help. Every author should have at least a rudimentary understanding of Help before trying to create a Help system. Help Basics walks you through the "inner workings" of Help at its simplest level.

Help Basics is intended to:

Explain the concepts of Help systems what they are, how they're used, and what makes a Help system

Provide you with the basic steps for creating a Help system

Offer some guidelines for managing Help projects

About Help In the broadest sense, Help is information online groups of related topics connected by electronic links (hypertext links) accessed using a computer.

In many ways, it is information-at-your-fingertips. Rather than searching for a long-forgotten book on a dusty bookshelf, Help makes information accessible from the primary home and office tool used worldwide the computer. It's a powerful, flexible way to communicate and publish information electronically.


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Help users (the people who read the online information) interact with the documents. They are in control because they can quickly and easily move around at will through the electronic hypertext links from subject to subject. They also have a lot of different ways to find the information they're looking for they can read, learn, browse, or get an answer and get back to work.

Example of online Help

Why create Help? What are the benefits of using Help to communicate your message? Why should you consider publishing online? The benefits of Help systems include:

Instant access: Users don't have to hunt for printed materials. As long as they're at the computer, Help is literally at their fingertips.

Increased control: Help puts the reader in charge. The reader determines where to go next and what paths to take, limited only by the ways the author has set up and linked the information. Help encourages exploration and can aid learning.

Decreased costs: You can increase the bottom line by decreasing the paper, printing, production, and distribution (shipping) costs.


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Rapid publishing: Help systems offer timely and rapid publication because it eliminates the printed production process. You distribute the product electronically. You can even update the product electronically. If you use the Internet or intranet, you can offer your readers automatic updates. Or you can allow them to download updates at their leisure.

Added features and functionality: You add images, sounds, videos, buttons, automatic page-turners (called browse sequences), and more. Help allows you to take the printed book idea into the next level by taking advantage of electronic design and delivery.

Increased reader base: Publishing online often means reaching more people especially if you're publishing on the Internet or an intranet. Even if you're distributing your Help on CD-ROM or diskette, it's much quicker and more portable than a book.

Improved support: Help systems are proven to add value to software applications because they integrate the application with the documentation. Help systems provide quick and easy support for users. Help can even anticipate questions by "knowing" the context of where the user is in the application what screen or where on the screen. You can lower support costs by providing application Help or knowledge-based Help systems.

Related documentation sets: You can combine more than one Help system to deliver a unified set of documentation.

Up-to-date information: You can quickly create and easily maintain shrink-wrapped Help systems for software applications, as well as in-house information systems and online books.


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What makes it Help? A Help system is actually the result of a process called Help authoring. This process looks something like this:

The Help authoring process

Communicating a message

The message you communicate in your online Help consists of many parts, including the ones listed here. (There are many other features you can add, depending on the Help format you're creating and the Help authoring tool you're using.)

Topics are the basic units of a Help system. They communicate the message, mainly through text and images.

Windows display the topics so users can view them.

Links connect topics so users can navigate from one to another.

Styles determine the layout and appearance of topic text.

Tables of contents present an outline of the contents of the Help system.


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The Index contains keywords and phrases enabling users to find information.

Full-text searches provide a way for users to search for particular words or phrases to find topics.

Organizing the information

Authors create Help projects in a Help-authoring tool such as RoboHELP HTML or RoboHELP Classic to create the message files and a Help project file. The project file (.HPJ file in RoboHELP Classic and .MPJ in RoboHELP HTML) allows you to manage and organize all the topics, images, sound, video, and appearance files that go into the Help system.

Compiling the project When you complete WinHelp or HTML Help projects, you combine the project the files into a single Help file by compiling (or generating) them. (WinHelp projects produce an .HLP file and HTML Help projects produce a .CHM file.) A Help compiler uses the information in your project to determine what the Help system contains and what it looks like.

Viewing the output

A special window known as a Help viewer is used to display the Help system. This viewer resides on your computer. Sometimes Help viewers are called Help engines, because they display (or "run") the Help system. Some Help systems are displayed in browsers that function like a Help viewer when the Help systems are running.

How authors create Help If you're new to Help authoring, try creating a small Help system to get the feel for how everything works. eHelp Corporation Help authoring tools come with tutorials to provide a quick and easy way to experience Help authoring while learning the features and power of your Help authoring tool.

Basic steps for creating Help systems Here are the basic steps to creating any Help system. After you select your authoring environment and create the project, you can develop it in the order that works best for you.

Note: You can find out more about each step by referring to this manual and the online Help for RoboHELP HTML and RoboHELP Classic.


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Select an authoring environment: Decide which Help format best meets your users' needs. Then select the Help authoring tool suited for that environment. You can create Help systems in different output formats from the same project files.

Create a Help project: Using your selected Help authoring tool, set up the Help project. The Help project allows you to manage and organize all the source files that go into creating the Help system. It also allows you to decide overall things like the title of the Help system and the appearance of the Help windows.

Create topics: Create your topics using text, images, sound, video anything that helps you to communicate the message of your Help system in ways that are meaningful and interesting to your audience. When creating your topics, you'll also use styles, which are named formats that affect the layout and appearance of your topics.

Create links: Create links so that users can move easily between topics. There are many different types of links that help users find related information, and your linking strategy can take advantage of the various types.

Create a table of contents: Many authors use the table of contents to organize and structure information while they work. For end users, the table of contents shows what information your Help system contains and clearly demonstrates how that information is organized. It's also an important way users access the topics in your Help system.

Create an index: Usability studies show that Help users use the index to find topics more than they use the table of contents. For this reason, youll want to index your Help project thoroughly. To create the index, you'll create the keywords and phrases that your users will most likely search for to find information. You associate keywords with your topics, so that when users search for a keyword, they instantly see the topic or topics associated with the selected keyword.

Generate (compile) the Help system: Generating (or compiling in WinHelp and Microsoft HTML Help) your project allows you to view the output and test links, browse sequences, and other elements from an end users perspective. You can generate any time, as many times as you like.

Test the Help system: To make sure the Help system looks and acts the way you planned, you need to test it. You can test your project as you go in the Help authoring tool, periodically by viewing the project after generating, or at the end by including the Help files in an applications installation before delivery. The important thing is that your topics display without error, links go where they should, and so forth. If you find problems, resolve them in the source files and generate the Help system again.


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Deliver the Help system: When you're satisfied with the way your Help system looks and acts, you make it available to your audience. Depending on your situation, that may mean copying the Help files to a CD-ROM, working with developers to install it with the application, posting the files to a server, or another method of distribution.

Components of Help systems When you open a WinHelp or Microsoft HTML Help system, you access the information in the Help system from one file. This file is the result of combining many different files together in a Help authoring tool.

Every Help system starts with ideas for communicating a message. The ideas may include text to explain concepts and tasks, images to show screens, and video and sound to illustrate a point. As the author, you work with a Help-authoring tool to create and use the elements that best suit your message.

Projects Help projects (or Help systems) are a collection of files that contain all the elements of a Help system. The project file (such as *.MPJ files created in RoboHELP HTML and *.HPJ files created in RoboHELP Classic) contains information about the content and properties of your Help project. A Help system often refers to the entire package, not just the project itself, which encompasses source files.

Content: Help project files assist you in managing and organizing the files and components that make up your Help system. These files contain information about the location of your topics, images, and other files.

Properties: Help project files also contain settings information, such as window location, that makes your Help system look the way you designed it. When you create a new project, the basic (or default) settings are used. You can modify these settings such as adding custom windows or changing the size or location of a window to suit your preferences and design needs.

Navigation: Projects also consist of a table of contents and index methods used to navigate (or move around) the Help system.

Topics The most basic unit of a Help project is its topics. When users view a Help system, they read Help topics. Many authors like to write topics in small chunks about the size of a computer screen. This is because Help users need to perform a task or learn about a concept quickly without having to scroll through lots of information first.


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As a Help author, your job is to determine what kinds of topics will meet your users needs and then organize the topics by grouping the information into certain topic types. Topics can be created based on many types of organization how often tasks are performed, the order of tasks, job functions, concepts, and so on. The way you group topics affects not only topic organization, it often affects the way topics are linked. Your Help system can contain as many topics and topic types as you want.

Topic types

You can design topic formatting based on the purpose of the topic. This is useful because it allows end users to quickly recognize the style of the

9 1 RHO Getting Started

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